Help deciding on a car

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Lain

Lain

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Yaywalter
I'm planning on buying a car sometime in August or September. Ideally, I'm looking for a car that's relatively compact but is also somewhat sporty as opposed to girly. :p

Right now I'm considering the Volkswagen GTI with 6-speed DSG transmission. I've never driven manual in real life and probably wouldn't want to drive in manual most of the time anyway.

Are there any other cars I should consider that are similar to the GTI?
 
New or used?

New, you'd be good with a Mazda 3s.

Used, grab either Mazda 3 with the 2.3L or grab an SVT Focus. However the SVT only comes with a 6spd.
 
Aren't cobalts considered crap? I would say to go for the mazda 3. I have a 3i 4 door auto and it's a blast to drive.
 
Miata. cheap, fun, and fast enough with some mods.

And before you say it's girly, remember that the people who make fun of a miata for being a girl's car probably drive v6 auto mustangs. If you don't have haters, you're doing something wrong.
 
deadcell96
Aren't cobalts considered crap? I would say to go for the mazda 3. I have a 3i 4 door auto and it's a blast to drive.
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Yes. Very much so. Cobalts are rental cars at best. The new Chevy Cruze though is much better, although not nearly as good as just about every other small car on the market.

Right now you can't really beat the 2012 Focus for something small, sporty, and fuel efficient. It is regarded highly by the automotive press and continuously wins in all comparisons. I was sceptical about it until I drove one and now I have one sitting in my garage.

It is not nearly as fast as the GTI but it's much cheaper and you won't be blessed with all the gremlins VW's encounter with their electrics. Plus you get a double clutch gearbox on the Focus as well.

Honestly it's the best American car I've driven in a long time and easily the best small American car. I would at least suggest taking of for a test drive to see how it is to drive one of the current class leaders.

** I should also point out the Mazda 3 and the Focus share the same platform. However, the Focus is lighter, gets better mileage and has about the same amount of horsepower with .5L less of displacement. Haven driven both of them, I feel in my opinion the Focus feels better to drive.
 
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Base Mazda 3 feels super weak to drive and is really plastic-y. GTI is a great drive, however.
 
176OES
Umm... pretty sure Focus is European... not American.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong though
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The new Focus is a world car, the previous generations of Focus were split between Ford International and Ford North America.
 
This is gonna be a tough decision. I think it's between the GTI and the Focus now though.

The Focus has the advantage of being significantly cheaper, and I think it has better gas mileage as well.

The GTI has the advantage of being faster and more aesthetically pleasing. Is it really unreliable though?
 
yaywalter
This is gonna be a tough decision. I think it's between the GTI and the Focus now though.

The Focus has the advantage of being significantly cheaper, and I think it has better gas mileage as well.

The GTI has the advantage of being faster and more aesthetically pleasing. Is it really unreliable though?
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There is actually a good story on the GTI here on someone who purchased one, but ended by selling it shortly after due to problems. Don't remember who, but you will be able to find it. VW cars have usually always been known for being problematic, at first being serious rust problems to now having electrical problems.
 
Philly has the GTI story.

And if you have any questions on the Focus I'll be happy to answer em.
 
disinfected
But the Ford Focus is the epitome of unreliable. Mazda doesn't have the best track record compared to it's Japanese counterparts, either.
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The North American one might (although I doubt it) but the new Focus has nothing to do with the previous NA model we got. It's one of the best selling cars in Europe as far as I know.

A VW will be more likely to be unreliable then a Ford.
 
My friend is a tech for the local VW dealer. Let's just say electronics work isn't exactly a small part of his job.
 
disinfected
But the Ford Focus is the epitome of unreliable. Mazda doesn't have the best track record compared to it's Japanese counterparts, either.
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Ya sure, first and second gen, but Ford has become one of the most reliable car makers over the last 4-5 years.
 
There's currently no current-gen US Focus that isn't a heavy boat with a measly 2.0, and the 4-door is absolutely hideous. The five-door is quite good looking, but it's a step down from a new GTI.

I'd totally take the ST, though.
 
disinfected
There's currently no current-gen US Focus that isn't a heavy boat with a measly 2.0, and the 4-door is absolutely hideous. The five-door is quite good looking, but it's a step down from a new GTI.
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No doubt that the GTI will kill the Focus for performance, but I'm pretty sure in the real world, performance is not the be all end all.
 
But if you're in the market for a GTI, why settle? Of course, if I had the money for a new GTI, I'd probably get something else for the same price.

I just say that because the original post said he was in the market for the GTI and wanted something similar.
 
disinfected
But if you're in the market for a GTI, why settle? Of course, if I had the money for a new GTI, I'd probably get something else for the same price.

I just say that because the original post said he was in the market for the GTI and wanted something similar.
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Is the ST not available yet or only available in Europe? Also, Ford is still deciding on bringing the RS to NA, which should kill the GTI quite handily, but of course would cost significantly more. Also, if the OP is in the market for a GTI, why not go for a V6 Mustang?
 
The ST is supposed to be getting a mid-2012 launch in the US.

I won't talk bad about a new Mustang though. Of course, you'd be hard pressed to find a new GTI in the US that isn't close to 28,000 with inflation. With that you could probably find a 2010-2011 GT.
 
disinfected
The ST is supposed to be getting a mid-2012 launch in the US.

I won't talk bad about a new Mustang though. Of course, you'd be hard pressed to find a new GTI in the US that isn't close to 28,000 with inflation. With that you could probably find a 2010-2011 GT.
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I think the OP wanted a compact car, possibly due to fuel economy, but I think the V6 Mustang is pretty good on fuel for 300 HP. Besides, what more fun could you want for under 25k than 300HP, RWD?:sly:
 
Gti is all round a very decent car, but the Focus is an alternative and more interesting choice, personally.
 
xNEVER-ONEx
I think the OP wanted a compact car, possibly due to fuel economy, but I think the V6 Mustang is pretty good on fuel for 300 HP. Besides, what more fun could you want for under 25k than 300HP, RWD?:sly:
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Nah, it's not really about fuel economy. I just don't like overly large vehicles. Mustang's not too bad, but everyone's got one around here, so I'd prefer something different.
 

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